Virtual reality can evoke self-transcendent emotions like awe, which may improve mental well-being when direct access to nature is limited. Designers created Awedyssey, a VR sensory deprivation countermeasure experience exhibited publicly. Qualitative feedback from interviews, diaries, and surveys revealed design tensions: balancing realism, autonomy, vastness, and comfort across diverse individuals. The work articulates design knowledge for creating technologically mediated emotional experiences that support mental health.
Flying dreams can evoke feelings of empowerment and self-transcendent experience, which benefit well-being, but such dreams are hard to induce intentionally. Virtual reality (VR) flying interfaces with more embodied self-motion cues better supported self-transcendent experience and empowerment than those with fewer cues. Design considerations derived include obscurity, extraordinary light, and a supportive setting. These findings contribute to guidelines for designing VR experiences that foster self-transcendence and empowerment, potentially applicable to improving mental well-being.
Lucid Loop is a proof-of-concept virtual reality system that uses biofeedback and deep-learning AI to simulate the experience of lucid dreaming while awake. The virtual environment becomes visually clearer when the participant's brain waves, respiration, and heart rate indicate focused attention. The authors propose this as a novel technique for practicing lucid awareness without requiring sleep, offering an embodied experience where written descriptions are insufficient. Future work aims to validate the system and evaluate its ability to improve lucidity by detecting and adapting to a participant's awareness.